The Archives

Over the past five years of documenting what's in my wardrobe I've simplified a solid system for closet clean outs, spent a year away from retail therapy (and audited another year's worth of purchases), identified smarter shopping habits, developed a deeper sense of personal style, re-framed perspective, greened my beauty routine, married my best friend, and packed my bags for a ...

A well-worn wardrobe is filled with stories. When we consider our clothes as intentional investments, we clarify new chapters within ourselves and we unearth a better sense of what’s important to us – of exactly what we want in life ...

The holidays are here at last. My schedule is packed but my bags are not — this year we're staying in town through New Year's. If you're hosting at home like I love to do, read on for my favorite tried and true tips for throwing a fabulous party at home, any time of year ...

Call me old fashioned: Hearkening back to centuries-old Irish farms and the rainy wilds of British isles, something about the storied construction and classic look of a well-made waxed cotton coat gets me every time. As romances tend to go, though, I've found good waxed canvas can be awfully tough to find — made more difficult if you're on the ...

Winter is a brutal time of year for our skin. There's the hustle of holiday travel, mad dash for projects and presents, and skin-parching parties (hello rosacea, my old friend) paired with whipping winter winds (I've come to talk with eczema again). It's no wonder that every winter, my face's wish list consists of nothing more than a little extra ...

Gina Moyano and I first crossed paths six months ago. As I was gearing up for a balmy summer in Atlanta, she was beginning to dream up fresh handbag designs for her luxe collection of sustainable accessories, Chakanu, which she creates in collaboration with a selection of hand-picked artisans in her home country of Ecuador. Through Chakanu Gina combines sustainability ...

Sevilla Smith Sandy D'Orsay Flats: In review I can't go a few days of wearing these without someone asking who made these beautiful shoes by Sevilla Smith so I'd like to share a little review: Know that each pair is made according to your exact specifications, from leather type to width to the occasional Midas touch. When these flats arrive ...

Kirsten Kjær Weis has a certain magnetism about her. You can tell she's a woman who has thought a lot about what she's going to say — that words are important to her. Soft-spoken and eloquent, her manner makes you want to lean in, be quiet, and listen. When she dropped by green beauty spot Fig & Flower last week my ...

Fall has a way of washing over me like a warm bath after a long day. Swirling around in greens and golds, teasing candle flames with its gentle airs, soaking the senses with firewood and scotch and apple pie — fall is the warm, caramel refrain of your favorite jazz song. The coltish delight of learning something new. The onomatopoeia ...

All you really need in the summertime is a tall iced coffee, a mountain to climb, waterfalls and forests to explore with your favorite people and pups, and a few solid outfits that will breathe with you through the afternoon breeze. For a recent weekend getaway wandering the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee, I packed a few trusty wardrobe staples ...

Between unwinding along Ireland’s quiet northwest reaches and enjoying copious helpings of Scottish whiskey, we took the train down the Irish coastline for a weekend of adventures along the southern reaches of the Wild Atlantic Way, a 1,500 mile scenic route speckled with jaw-dropping views and castles along Ireland's rugged westerly shores. With much to do and just a few ...

Between roaming the Irish countryside and touring through the Scottish Highlands on to Islay, we spent a wee bit of time in Scotland's capital of Edinburgh. Although our stay was brief (and fell just a few weeks before Brexit), we packed in a full day of culture and history as we stumbled across so many unexpected gems in this quietly ...

When you marry a whiskey man (or whisky man, as they say in Scotland) with whom you share an affinity for first editions, bedroom slippers, bran cereals, Ken Burns documentaries, gardening, and heavily peated scotch (we are essentially grandparents in the chrysalis) it's tough to decide on a honeymoon destination. Oddly enough, we both landed on a tiny island off ...

After a few weeks abroad I'm back home, unpacking, sorting out photos, and catching up on beauty rest. Three countries and three times as many plane and train rides later I'm missing one city in particular. Nestled along the northwest coast of Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, Galway is a relaxing train ride from Dublin (with wifi and wine) or just ...

This month I'm bring out all of the deliciously delicate silk and linen and cotton that's been hidden away at the back of my closet since last September. Hallelujah. Come the first of June I always begin to itch for more sunshine (Vitamin D deficiency or no?) and always start to pencil in long summer nights out, wearing the sexier ...

My idea of perfect daily makeup is somewhere between I woke up like this (flawless) and that endless summer glow that can only be found after a week sunbathing off the coast of Spain, lips stained and cheeks flushed off a big glass of Malbec and night of dancing. Really reasonable for a designer who works in an office all ...

How to pack for two to three weeks in Europe using a single carry on. Plus my capsule wardrobe packing system, what's in my bag, a few travel tips, and a handy printable packing list. If broken roller boards, sore shoulders, Zambian baggage fees, and a lone suitcase languishing on the tarmac of the Madrid airport have taught me one ...

When hunting for closet staples I tend to agonize over nice dresses and nice shoes. Both are investment pieces and rightfully so – the best pieces in your closet should especially be meant to last – worn in and worn well, season over season. I've landed on two keepers between Cuyana, the San Francisco-based lean closet brand started by two ...

Happy first day of spring, beauties. Oille Natural organic skincare and I are celebrating the season of growth with a little giveaway. Who brings you clarity and helps you grow? Tag a friend here for a chance to win two bottles of their brilliantly stimulating Organic Hair Serum – one for you and one your favorite friend. While ...

Grab a cup of coffee, or three. Sit a spell (20 minutes). It’s change your life story time! Before we get started, a little background: Last winter I spent some time navel gazing on small habits and eventually realized that building a healthier closet really echoed a broader longing to create a healthier beauty bag, body, mind, and home. A ...

Have you ever tracked your closet? This weekend I audited all of last year's clothing purchases, and in the process I realized some really interesting things about my shopping habits in the year that followed the Nothing New Challenge. The results make up this cozy lil' fireside chat and subsequent outfit – what I'm wearing makes up a few of ...

"You look so much healthier than before the wedding," my mom recently mentioned as I watched her eyes trace from my forehead down over the bridge of my nose, resting on one cheek then crossing to the other. "Your face looks a lot... better." Had anyone else made the comment it would have hit a nerve and I would have ...

September 19, 2015, I got to marry my best friend. As the cool air of fall rushes in all at once we are still basking in that golden light of remarkable love, kindness, and joy felt all around on our wedding day. A thousand different things didn't go as planned and yet, as always, fate forms reality far better than ...

Ocean Shores, Washington A week and a half in Washington State was one long sweet, surreal day dream. Our first stop at Ocean Shores unexpectedly introduced us to equine friends: Maggie and Milly. After an afternoon on the beach we were off to Olympic National Forest and idyllic Lake Quinalt for the best salmon nachos in the world. What to ...

Pssst... There are a few more tips in my 2018 MightyGoods music festival packing interview! Everlane backpack and v-neck, Lou & Grey shorts. Photos by Stu Haluski. I'm off to Washington, DC to kick off a week of champagne, girl talk, glamping, and killer music at Firefly Festival. Working through the details of what to bring on the trip, the ...

So it's 2018 now. I have a new blog and my beauty routines have changed a bit since this post: I now have a five-minute makeup routine (two years strong!) I simplified my everyday skincare even more I put together a super soothing weekend facial ritual I met Kjær Weis and she told me seven really good makeup tips Three ...

My dear aunt recently confided that her favorite weddings are the kind where the groom is in his Sunday best, bride in her favorite hat, photos by the family fireplace, reception in the backyard - and you can't shut the honeymoon suitcases because they're stuffed so full with the money everyone saved by having a pragmatic little wedding. And yes, ...

Interview: #StyleStories15 Feb 16, 2015 A brilliant idea coinciding with New York Fashion Week, #stylestories15 highlights good style that's working for good: outfits created from ethical and sustainable finds from around the world. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to participate by my friend Malorie of The Ethical Writers Coalition, and as promised, Rose & Fig's feature is ...

So. I've been ruminating and rewriting this post over the past few months. This is going to wrap up a lot of last year's personal projects and what I've learned. And I've tried my best to organize it all in such a way that I don't seem an incoherent, crazy person to you. I know, I'm such a good friend ...

There's something so wonderful about the cool air that comes with the first weeks of fall. Like clockwork, those crisp mornings signal some primal rhythm in me. Hunt, gather, slow down. I start to crave citrus, warm tea, hot baths, and five more minutes under the covers. Autumn also has a way of welcoming inspiration and ideas into my life ...

September marks three-quarters through my Nothing New project! This week I'm talking shop with BodhiLuxe Magazine about how I've nearly gone a year away from retail fashion, along with some tips to jump start your own shopping fast: NOTHING NEW: A YEAR AWAY FROM FASHION RETAIL Via BodhiLuxe: Could you go a full year without buying brand new clothes? Queen ...

Labor Day means heading north for a weekend at Big Canoe to share home cooking and football over campfires and Georgia beer with family. And at last... riding boots! Have a wonderful weekend, y'all. Frye Paige Boots (on sale). Bespoke bag designed in collaboration with the wonderful Andover Trask. Quartz necklace from Le Fortune (similar on Etsy). Michael Kors Runway ...

2018 update: I've made big changes to the R&F guide to cleaning out your closet and building a better wardrobe. You can find the new version here! A year after first documenting my wardrobe editing process and lessons learned, I've just finished a fresh all-seasons closet clean out. And since making a concerted effort to identify my style, create 'uniforms' ...

Featherweight and so soft, Everlane's cotton and cashmere raglan works equally well as a summer staple as it does a layering piece for cooler weather. In keeping with the nothing new campaign, I waited until a size small showed up on eBay and have since paired it with office and weekend wear alike. I'm nearly as fond of the delicate ...

These are outfits I wore the first summer after I set out to whittle down my wardrobe. Here’s what the fall and winter and spring before looked like. Here’s what my wardrobe looks like nowadays. And here's an interview on my year of buying nothing new. SCAD Museum of Art Apr 29, 2014 "I recall my fleeting instants in Savannah ...

Last week I thought I was onto something new when I hurriedly cuffed my jeans, accidentally tucking in one side in on the way. This cuff looked très chic, tailored, tapered — as if Emmanuelle Alt had whispered a French It Girl secret to my right leg. I've since learned that French cuffing, or peg rolling, has been around at ...

I think it's inevitable that eventually a stray wool sweater (which is usually also your favorite one) finds its way into the dryer. Said sweater tumbles out so adorably, three sizes too small, and suitable only for your dog to wear, forever. I enjoy when this happens to my better half (free boyfriend sweaters miniaturized to my size!) but until ...

These are outfits I wore the first spring after I set out to whittle down my wardrobe. The fall and winter before looked like this, and the summer after like this. Here’s what my wardrobe looks like nowadays. And here's an interview on my year of buying nothing new ...

"Study how water flows in a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also learn from holy books and wise people. Everything - even mountains, rivers, plants and trees - should be your teacher." -Morihei Ueshiba ...

New job, new house, new clothes... It was May 2012 and as mortar boards glided like confetti in the air, another product designer was minted. For commencement I’d paired a sweet little cream dress (that had rested quietly in my closet in the eight years since my first high school dance) with a pair of second-hand shoes I’d worked forever ...